


It's Eternal

by chameleon_666



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairytale, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, Homophobic Language, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-14
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2018-02-13 05:00:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2137902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chameleon_666/pseuds/chameleon_666
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are a million universes, with a million Teddys, and a million Billys. Somehow, they always manage to find each other.</p>
<p>OR; a collection of several Billy/Teddy au one shots. Mostly fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Soul Mates

**Author's Note:**

> To start off, the obligatory soul mate au. Because I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.
> 
> Also, not beta read, because betas are hard to find. If you are so lucky as to find one, cherish them. Never let them go.
> 
> Feel free to send me prompts here: queenshulkie.tumblr.com/ask

You could say that Billy was happy with his question.

Then again, you could also say that the Earth was flat, the moon was a light source, and dinosaurs had existed alongside cavemen.

It wasn't that it was a _bad_ question, or an awkward one, or, _god forbid_ , the dreaded "can I borrow a pencil?" It was just that it was, well, _common_. And boring. He'd had it asked to him by countless teachers, friends, and even tauntingly by bullies.

Whatcha reading?

The two little words were inked onto his inner wrist in a font like handwriting, but that didn't match his own. The t linked onto the c, and the g looped it's tail. It was pretty, sure, but not remotely useful.

It had shown up when he was twelve. Everyone got theirs at a different age, but it was generally between seven and fifteen. He could still remember that day with astonishing clarity. 

"Mom?!" Billy had called from his room. His wrist was bright red, like a rash. 

"What is it, honey? Can it wait?" His mom yelled back. Billy stared down at his wrist. It hadn't changed. 

"Yeah, I guess," Billy sighed. Say what you want about getting special privileges, and responsibility, and all that, but 'first born' was just code for 'you're old enough to be ignored while we take care of the cute, little ones.'

The angry red mark on his wrist didn't change for hours. But late that night, as he was falling asleep, it started to itch, and burn. Billy sat up, and turned on the lamp by his bed. He squinted at the red mark, and watched as the black words became more and more visible. They were jumbled and illegible at first, but the longer he sat there, the closer he came to figuring it out. Finally, a little past midnight, he was able to discern the short, somewhat flirty question.

Whatcha reading?

He was disappointed to say the least.

Billy had told himself it didn't matter. He didn't _have_ to try to find his soul mate. People didn't always end up with their soul mates, and they were perfectly happy. But as he got older, and his cousins and friend's older siblings started to find their soul mates, he started to feel the pressure. Anytime a relative visited, that was the first thing they asked about. 

"Oh, Billy, have you met your soul mate yet?"

"You still haven't met your soul mate?"

"Don't worry, you've still got time."

It was hard to be constantly surrounded by people who'd already found theirs. He held out for a year, before finally cracking. He was going to find his damn soul mate, even if only to shut his mom up. She insisted that it was unhealthy for him to be so indifferent. 

So, he spent every minute of his free time in book stores of all kinds. It started out as an attempt to find his soul mate, but he soon found himself actually enjoying it. It was how he discovered his love of comics. Bullies not withstanding, he was happy, and in time, the words on his wrist fell to the back of his mind once again.

*****

Teddy had never known what to think of his words. Or rather, his word. There was just one word scrawled across his ankle.

Avengers.

He couldn't have told you when he got it, or what he was doing at the time. The only reason he even noticed it was because his mother commented on it one day.

"Teddy, why didn't you tell me you got your word?" She had asked. They were at the beach together when he was nine. He looked to where she was pointing, the side of his ankle. The word "Avengers" was written in dark blue in a messy, handwriting-type font. The letters were half connected, like whoever had written it had tried to do so in cursive, but given up.

Teddy shrugged, "Oh. I guess I didn't notice." And that was the end of it.

While the word never bothered him too much, and his mother certainly never pressured him, he couldn't help but think of that one little word, those eight letters tattooed on his ankle every time he met someone. It wasn't quite hope, per say, more like...anticipation.

For a while, he'd hoped it would be Greg. That hope died a swift and brutal death after he actually met him, and his first words to Teddy were "Hey man, watch it!" Although, after Teddy discovered what kind of person Greg really was, he was relieved it hadn't been him.

So Teddy never worried much about his soul mate, whoever he might be. It was always at the edge of his mind, but he never went out of his way to find the mystery guy. He figured that if it was really meant to be like people said, it would just happen.

*****

"Get in, loser, we're going to the comic book store."

Billy smirked, as his friend Andy shouted to him from his car. With the promise of the latest issue of Avengers fresh in his mind - how could he have forgotten it was Wednesday? - he ran excitedly down the steps in front of his high school. For once, he'd actually managed to evade Kessler. Or so he thought. But just as his foot hit the sidewalk, a tall figure blocked his path.

"Where you think you're going, fag?" Spat a John Kessler shaped pile of crap. His fists were clenched at his sides, his stance aggressive. Billy took a step back.

"You going on a date with your boyfriend or something, you fucking homo douche?" He sneered.

"Is that your way of asking if I'm single? 'Cause you're so not my type," Billy said, putting his foot in his mouth in a way only he knew how. If they gave out awards for awkwardness, Billy would've had a full trophy case. 

"The fuck did you say to me, Kaplan?" Kessler growled. His beefy fingers curled around Billy's collar. Kessler brought his fist back, and slammed it into the other boy's face with what Billy imagined was the force of at least eight of his punches. His head went fuzzy with the impact, and before he knew what was going on, Kessler had thrown him to the ground

Pain shot through him, radiating out from his cheek. Kessler managed to get a few kicks in before Andy decided to be his five foot two, hundred and twelve pound, knight in shining armor. Fortunately, Andy's dad was friends with the principal. At his school, that was better than being rich and hot.

Kessler backed off, but not before spitting on Billy.

Andy helped him up, "Hey, you ok man? Forget about that idiot, come on."

Billy nodded, only vaguely aware of what was going on.

*****

 Strictly speaking, Teddy wasn't supposed to be at the comic book store. He should have been at home, helping his mom paint. However, the promise of the new Captain Marvel issue was far more alluring than pizza and 7 Up.

He grabbed the book he wanted, then sifted through the older issues, looking for one he'd missed.

No luck, once again. He'd have to ask the guy at the desk to special order it for him.

Teddy heard the door open, and turned his head reflexively.

Teddy's breath caught, as a gorgeous brunette wearing an Avengers t-shirt walked in. He couldn't help staring at the boy. He was a little on the short side, his hair was too messy to be intentional, there were bags under his eyes and an angry red splotch on his cheek, and his skin was I-hate-outside pale. He was perfect.

The boy scanned the small shop, apparently searching for something specific. Teddy went back to the comics, very determinedly _not_ looking at the boy. He felt the blood rush to his face as the boy walked over to him, and stood in front of the bin next to him, his thin fingers deftly combing through the older issues. Teddy absently wondered what else he could do with those fingers. He turned bright red.

The boy, apparently having found what he was looking for, pulled an issue out the white box. He flipped it open, and started scanning through.

Teddy's heart raced. Should he talk to him? He probably wasn't even gay. Still, he _definitely_ wouldn't get anywhere if he didn't at least try, right? Besides, the boy didn't look like the kind of kid to knock a guy's teeth out for hitting on him. Judging by the mark on his cheek, _he_ was the one getting his teeth knocked out.

Teddy leaned over, heart pounding so loud that he was pretty sure the boy could hear it, "Whatcha reading?"

"Avengers," the boy answered easily.

So the boy had good taste too - wait.

No.

His thoughts went to the messy word on his ankle.

"Avengers," he repeated, his voice hushed and nervous.

But this boy couldn't be Teddy's soulmate. He was nerdy, and adorable, and seemed nice enough, and Teddy's luck just wasn't that good. He always thought he'd end up with some jerk like Greg.

The boy gave Teddy a weird look, "Uh, yeah?"

"Um...this might sound weird, but your words wouldn't happen to be 'whatcha reading?' Would they?" Teddy asked nervously. 

The boy's eyes - which, Teddy noticed, were completely gorgeous - widened into saucers. He nodded slowly.

"And yours is-"

"Avengers."

"Yeah."

"Wow."

"I know, right?"

Both boys chuckled nervously. Teddy stuck out his hand, "I'm Teddy," he said.

"Billy," the boy replied. 

Teddy grinned, "Excellent." Billy groaned. 

"I can't believe I missed that," he said

Teddy laughed, "Given the circumstances, I'll allow it," he said.

"I'm so relieved," Billy said sarcastically, grinning. 

Teddy grinned back. He'd just met the guy, and already he like him better than eighty percent of friends. That _had_ to be a good sign.

"So...you wanna like, hang out some time?" he said. Billy nodded.

"I'd like that, Teddy," he said.

And they smiled. And they exchanged numbers. And having found their other halves, they felt whole. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next, a fairytale au in which Teddy is a struggling actor, and Billy is a poor magician.

Once upon a time, there was a young prince. Though he was heir to two different kingdoms - the Kree and the Skrull - he chose to live as a simple townsman in a third, poorer kingdom called Earth. He worked as an actor for a local theatre, and though he struggled financially, he was happy in his humble life.

One night, after he'd finished a production, the prince took a candle and sat by the foggy seaside. He looked up at the sky, watching the stars. The prince often found himself craving good company, for though he had many admirers, he never felt that they liked him for who he was, just his small amount of fame.

"Prince Theodore? I couldn't help but admire you in the show tonight," came a voice in the distance. The prince turned, searching for the voice.

"Thank you for your kind words stranger, but I would be much more appreciative if I knew from whom they came," he said.

A hooded figure emerged from the fog, carrying a large book. He stepped forward, into the dim light cast by Theodore's candle.

"My name is William Kaplan, originally of the house of Maximoff," the stranger said, "And I am practiced in the art of the magics. I have no money to pay for the show, so I would like to instead offer you three wishes."

The prince was intrigued. He'd never met a Maximoff _or_ a mage before, though both were highly respected and feared in the kingdom.

"I will accept your offer, William. My first wish is for a house by the sea," Theodore said.

"Very well," said William. The young mage's eyes glowed blue, as he chanted:

_**I want him to have a house by the sea** _

_**I** _ _**want him to have a house by the sea** _

_**I want him to have a house by the sea** _

"I must rest now, but I assure you, you will have your house. I will seek you out when I am able to grant the other wishes, as I promised," William said. The young man looked tired from casting the spell, and his hood fell off his head.

He was a very handsome man, fair, with dark eyes and dark hair.

"Thank you, William. I look forward to seeing you again," He said, smiling at the man. Theodore could swear he saw a flush of red creep up William's neck.

The next day, Theodore was walking through the village, doing his shopping, when out of nowhere came a shout of joy.

A farmer came running down the cobblestone road, shouting, "My daughter's become engaged to the duke! I'm moving to castle!"

The farmer, who Theodore recognized as the man who sold him vegetables stopped beside him.

"Congratulations, sir. I couldn't be happier for you and your daughter," Theodore said, patting the farmer on the back.

"Thank you for your kindness, and for being my most loyal customer these past years," said the farmer. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a rolled up sheet of paper, and placing it in the prince's hand, "This is the deed to my house. Since I'll not be needing it, I want you to have it, Theodore. You'll find the house near the sea. It is quite reasonably sized, with a large amount of land."

Theodore was shocked. His wish had come true! "Thank you, sir!" He said excitedly.

Theodore was soon happily moved into his new house, and eagerly awaited the return of the handsome mage.

One afternoon a few days later, while Theodore was out on a walk, William reappeared.

"Good day, Theodore! I have returned to grant your second wish!" He said, walking alongside the prince. He wasn't wearing a hood this time, instead dressed in a simple shirt and pants.

The young man grinned widely, awaiting the command of the prince. Theodore was silent. He'd waited eagerly for William to return, but had given no thought to what he would wish for.

"Walk with me while I decide?" Theodore asked.

William nodded, "I'd love to, Theodore," he said.

The two men were silent for a time, but soon they fell into easy conversation. They found that they had very similar taste in plays and music.

Soon, the hour grew late, and Theodore invited William back to his house for dinner, as he still had not decided on his wish. William agreed, and they ate and drank together late into the night.

It was nearly midnight when Theodore decided. "William," he said, "I would like to thank you for giving me one of the best nights of my life. I have decided on my second wish."

"It has been wonderful, hasn't it?" William said happily, "What is your wish, my friend?"

Theodore smiled at William's choice of words. They were friends. It was a good feeling."I wish for a well-tempered dog," he said.

"As you wish," William said. He straightened in his chair, and his eyes began to glow blue again as he chanted:

_**I want him to have a well-tempered dog** _

_**I want him to have a well-tempered dog** _

_**I want him to have a well-tempered dog** _

As soon as he finished speaking, William slumped in his chair, almost immediately falling asleep due to a combination of the late hour, the mead he'd drank, and using his magic.

Theodore nearly laughed, as he carried William to the spare bedroom in his house, laying him out on the bed. Looking fondly at the mage, he gently placed a kiss on his forehead, and whispered, "Thank you, William."

The next morning, William and Theodore ate breakfast together, the former still so tired that he fell asleep in his porridge twice.

"I will not let you travel in this state. You'll stay with me until you've regained your strength," Theodore declared as William dozed off a third time. William didn't protest, as Theodore thought he would. He simply nodded and lay his head on the table.

This time, Theodore laid him on his couch.

And this time, William was the one to kiss Theodore's forehead. "Thank you," he mumbled, before falling back to sleep.

Theodore blushed, and decided to go into the village to clear his head. While he was there, he passed an elderly woman selling pups. The mother had bore too many for her to handle, so the woman was selling them for a little extra cash. Theodore stopped to look at the dogs, one in particular catching his eye. It was a brown and white spotted pup, with floppy ears and big brown eyes. He kneeled down to pet it, the thing immediately taking a liking to him.

The old woman watched Theodore play with the puppy for a while, before telling him to keep it, free of charge. He tried to pay her, but she refused, saying that the two were obviously meant for each other. Theodore thanked her, and returned home, the wiggling pup held securely in his arms. His second wish had come true.

It took three days for William to regain his strength and energy.

"Well, Theodore, it is time for you to make your last wish," he said over dinner that night.

"But William, I'm afraid you've already granted my third wish," Theodore said.

William looked at him with confusion, "How is that possible? I cast no spell," he said.

"My third wish," Theodore said, "was for the company of a handsome man," he said. Then, he leaned over the table and kissed William. And William kissed him back.

In time, the two were married, and they grew old together in their house by the sea, with their well-tempered dog by their side. Theodore never used his third wish, because he had gotten everything he could have wanted when he met William.

The end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to send me prompts here: queenshulkie.tumblr.com/ask


End file.
